Suxamethonium Chloride Injection

Who is this for?

Suxamethonium is a fast-acting muscle relaxant given by injection that temporarily paralyzes your muscles so doctors can insert a breathing tube or perform short surgical procedures safely.

Binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction and causes sustained depolarization, resulting in initial fasciculations followed by flaccid paralysis of skeletal muscles. This depolarizing blockade prevents repolarization and subsequent muscle contraction necessary for voluntary movement.

Is Suxamethonium safe to take with another drug?

This is NOT a drug you take at home. It is given strictly by injection in a hospital or clinic by a trained doctor or anesthetist. The typical adult dose is 1 to 1.5 mg per kilogram of body weight given into a vein. You will never need to dose yourself — a medical professional handles everything.

This does not apply. Suxamethonium is a single-use hospital drug given by a doctor during a procedure — there is no dosing schedule you need to follow at home.

• Muscle pain and body aches after surgery (very common
• especially in young people)
• temporary increase in heart rate
• slight rise in eye pressure
• brief rise in blood pressure
• excessive saliva production

Certain antibiotics like gentamicin and other aminoglycosides can increase its paralytic effect dangerously. Some pesticides and insecticides (organophosphates, common in Nigerian farming) can make this drug last much longer and become dangerous — always tell your doctor if you work with chemicals. Some anesthetic gases used during surgery also increase its effects.

Store between 2°C and 8°C in a refrigerator. This drug is very sensitive to Nigerian heat and must not be left at room temperature for long periods. Keep away from direct sunlight. This drug is stored and handled by hospitals and pharmacies, not at home.